Wrench.



w. R. WELLER.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.'25. 1916-.

' Patented Feb. 6, 1917 W|tnesses lhvenw 'Attr ys WILLIAM R. WELLER, on MILLSTONE, MARYLAND.

wnnivcn.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1', WILLIAM R; WELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Millstone, in' the county of vWashington and State oi Maryland, have invented a new and useful Wrench, of which the. following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to wrenches, and is particularly an improve-- ment over the wrenches shown in my Patent No. 1,179,249,. granted April 11, 1916,

and in my co-pending application Serial, No. 114,431, filed August 11, 1916.

It is the object of the invention to pro vide awrench construction disclosed in said patent and co-pending application, which. is applicable to a vehicle wheel and the, nut which holds the hub of the wheel in place, the wrench being provided with novelmeans whereby it can be actuatedeither by turning the wheel, or by meansof a crank, for

which reason the wrench is made] adjustable and convertible,

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it being; understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of whatis claimed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1' is a median section. of the wrench, portions being shown in plan, I

Fig. 2 is an endview of the wrench, portions being shown insection, on 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail, taken on the line 3-3 of'Fig. 2. V

Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the interengageable teeth of the collars.

Fig.6 is a perspective view of the crank handle, a portion thereof being broken away. 7

The improved. wrench embodies a sheet. metal plate or member 1 with which divergingtapered arms or prongs 2 are detachably and reversibly. assembled, and said arms are adapted to be inserted between the spokes of the wheel. The'plate l has a central collar or boss 3 projecting therefrom awayv from the normal position of, the prongs 2. A tubular member4 is journaled Specification of Letters Patent.

the line 'PatentedFeb. 6, 1917.

Application filed November 25, 1916. I Serial No. 133,419.

for rotation through the collar3, and a detachable socket member 5 is slipped or fitted upon the enlarged end 4 of the member 4 between the prongs 2'. Socket members 5 of various sizes and shapes can be used interchangeably, for various nuts.

A pin or rivet 6 is engaged diametrically through the tubular member 4 adjacent the outer end thereofand a wooden or equivalent handle 7 has a reduced portion; fitting within'the last mentioned end of the member 4. A longitudinal pin 9 is engaged through the handle 7 and has an eye 1 at' its inner end embracing the transverse pin 6, to anchor thehandle to the member 4, and the outer end of the pin 9-hasa. washer v or other means 11 for holding the handle 7' upon said pin.

A collar or sleeve 12 is slidable uponthe member 4 between the ends thereof, and a diametered pin 14 has its endsengaging the collar 12 and workswithin the diametrically opposite longitudinal slots 15 with which the member 4 is providedbetween its ends, and a longitudinal stem 13 has one end engaged with the pin 14in any suitable manner and extends axially within the member 4 toward thev socket member ,5. The

pin 14 can extendfthrough the pin 13.1 A

coiled wire expansion spring 16 is disposed around the stem 13 within the member 4110ctween a washer or disk 13 upon the free end ofthe stem 13 and a guidel'? secured to the member 4 through which the stem 13 is slidable. The spring 16 normally moves the stem 13 outwardly to move the collar" 12 against the'boss or collar 3, and the adjacent ends of said collars'are provided with interengageable rounded .or sinuous teeth 18.

In order to holdtheteeth 18 of the two collars in engagement, a stop plate or arm 19 is disposed at one side of the member 4 and has the cars 19 at one end straddling the member 4 and looselyengaged upon the terminals ofthe pinor rivet 6, whereby J "endof the collar 12, thus holding said collar 12 against the collar 3, and preventing the collar 12 from moving away fromthe collar 3'. A pin 20 is engaged with the member 4between the collar 12 and pin6 and I projects throughanaperture 21 in the opposite side of the member 4, the plate 19 movement of the plate 19 away from the member 4, and a coiled wire expansion spring 22 is disposed around the pin 20 be tween the plate 19 and the opposite wall of the member 4, to normally swing the plate 19 away from the member 4, as seen in Fig. 1, whereby the collar 12 can move freely away from the collar 3 against the tension of the spring 16.

The ends of the arms or prongs 2 are pro vided with wedge-shaped loops 23 which are insertible between the spokes of the wheel. The prongs 2 have outstanding apertured guide ears 24, anda pair of rods 26 is slidable through the ears 24 upon the outer sides of the prongs. Holding bars or members27 are pivotally engaged between their ends with the ends of-the rods'24 remote from thehandle 7. The bars 27 bear slid ably against the prongs 2, and can be swung into alinement with said prongs, or at right angles therewith, whereby both ends or arms of each bar 27 can bear against the two spokes between which therespective prongs project. The rods 26 have outstanding handles 28 at those ends adjacent the handle, and coiled wire expansion springs 29 are disposed upon the rods 26 between the ears 24 and handles 28, tending to move the rods 26 away from the free ends of the prongs, whereby to move the bars 27 against the respective guide ears 24.

In order to attach the prongs or arms 2 removably with the plate 1 and to provide for the reversal of either prong, each prong is provided at itsbutt end with'a bifurcated portion having the diverging tongues 30 and 31 each provided, with an aperture 32.

Keeper plates 33 are providedwith ofiset ends secured to the plate 1 and provide sockets for receiving the tongues 30 and 31, which are held in place by means of leaf springs or spring catches 35 having oflset ends secured to the plate 1. The free ends of said springs overlap the plate 33, and are provided with lugs 36 projecting through apertures 37 in the plates 33 and engageable with the apertures 32. Thus, when the tongues 30 are inserted between the plates 1 and 33, they are held therein by the catches, with the prongs 2 in the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1 to be inserted between the spokes of the wheel. The plate 1 has notches 33 to receive the prongs 2. By loosening the catches or leaf springs 35, the prongs 2 can be withdrawn from the plate 1, and one prong or arm can then be reversed, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to act as a crank arm, the respective tongue 31 being inserted between the plate 1 and one plate 33 and being held in place by the spring catch. The prong or arm 2will thus extend at an angle beyondthe end of the member 4 and handle 7, for the attachment of a removable crank handle 38. This crank handle 38 has a head'39 provided with an opening 40 for receiving the terminal 41 of the prong 2, and a second opening 42 for receiving an apertured lug 43 projecting from the end of the loop '23. The head 39 has an aperture 44 to register with the aperture of the lug 43 for the insertionof a pin, to hold the handle in place. The, handle when ap plied to the prong 2 in the dotted line post tion in Fig. 1, will be parallel with the axis of the member 4, and the crank thus provided can be rotated for rotating the nut. The handle 38 is sufiiciently removed from the rest of the device in order that the member 4 will not interfere with the movement of the arm in rotating the crank. The socket member 5 can therefore be actuated either by the rotation of the vehicle wheel to which the prongs 2 are applied as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1, or by therrotation of the crank formed by one prong 2' and handle 38 as illustrated in dotted lines insaid figure, which ever is most desirable or conv 1- ient under the circumstances.

In applying the wrench to the wheel and nut, with the prongs in the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1, the rods 26 are moved against the tension of the springs 29, to move the holding bars'27 away from the cars 24, and said bars 27 are then. swung into alinement with the prongs 2, whereby they can be readily inserted. between the spokes of the wheel, the socket member 5 being simultaneously applied to the nut. The bars 27 are then swung at right angles with the prongs 2 so as to extend across certain of the spokes, and the rods 26 being released will bring the springs 29 into play, whereby the bars 27 are drawn against the spokes, and the prongs 2 and plate 1 moved toward the wheel to hold the socket member 5 upon the nut. By moving the plate 19 against the member 4, the collar 12 is held in enga'gement with the .collar 3,, and then by rotating the wheel, the collar 12 will rotate with thecollar 3 of the plate 1, and this will cause the member 4 to rotate whereby to rotate the nut, to unscrew it, from the spindle.

When the wheel is rotated or swung in the opposite direction, the nut will be screwed upon the spindle, andduring this operation of the wrench, it is preferable to release the plate 19 whereby the collar 12 can, if necessary, move away from the collar 3. The teeth 18 in being interengaged, and the collar 12 being held against the collar 3 under the action of the spring 16, will cause the collar 12 to rotate with the collar 3 so that the nut is screwed home, but when the nut stops, the collar 12 will be moved away from the collar 3 .by the cam action of the teeth 18, thus preventing the nut being screwed too tightly into place, which is objectionable. This feature is also of advantage when the wheel is spun or when the vehicle is moved for screwing the nut into place, since if the nut were attached rigidly to the wheel, there would be a possibility that the wrench, wheel or other part would become broken, when the nut could rotate no farther.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is V 1. A wrench embodying amember, means carried thereby for engaging a nut, and a reversible prong carried by said member to engage the spokes of a wheel in one position and to provide a crank arm in another position for manually rotating said member.

2. A wrench embodying a member, nutengaging means carried thereby, and a prong, said prong and member having interengageable means for applying the prong to said member in either of two positions, the prong when in one position being engageable with the spokes of a wheel and when in the other position serving as a crank handle for manually rotating said member.

3. A wrench embodying a member, means carried thereby for engaging a nut, a re Versible prong carried by said member to project in one direction for engaging the spokes of a wheel and to project in another said prong having means engageable with said member in difl'erent positions of the prong, the prong in one position projecting in a direction to engage the spokes of a wheel, and when in another position projecting in another direction to serve as a crank handle.

5. A wrench embodying a member, nut

engaging means carried thereby, and aprong having diverging portions at its butt end engageable with said member in different positions of the prong.

6. A wrench embodying a member, nut

engaging means carried thereby, a "prong having diverging portions at its butt end engageable with said member in different, positions of the prong, the prong when in one position being arranged to engage the spokes of a wheel and being reversed in another position to serve as a crank arm, and a removable crank handle attachable to the end of said prong.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aliixed my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. WELLER.

Witnesses:

RAYMOND A. LITTON, V THEODORE P. JENKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. i 

